Device for stretching rugs and the like



june 9, 1936. A, 1, PRESTON i( 2,043,555

` DEVICE FR vS'I"R`1:."I`CI*IING' RUGS AND THE LIKE Filed July 30, 1954Patented June 9, 1936 UNI-'TED STA-TES FATE orsics DEVICE FOR STRETCHINGRUGS AND THE LKE Application July 30, 1934, serial No. 737,585

3 claims. (o1. i5- 24) This invention relates to a device for stretchingrugs or similar sheets of rectangular shape. When rugs are scoured orshampooed, they tend to develop wrinkles. In order to avoid suchwrinkles when the rug is laid on the oor, the rug is often sized with astiiiening 4material assisting it to lie iiat on the fioor. When suchsizing has been applied to a rug, it is important that while the sizingis drying, the rug be held in a plane with its edges so positioned as toavoid distortion of the outline shape of the rug. To this end, it hasbeen customary to stretch the rugs on frames so as to hold them flat intheir proper shape. The use of stretching frames requires a large amountof iioor space on which the rug can be laid out for attachment to theframe. The operation of attachingV the rug to the frame is alsodiiiicult and time consuming. It is an object of the present inventionto provide a simple effective device which can be attached to a rugwithout extending the rug'out full length on the floor, which is capableof quick and easy attachment to the rug, and which can be quicklyreleased from the rug after the sizing has dried. The invention asherein described and illustrated may be embodied in a series of clampsattached to a bar of substantial weight having a straight edge, thegripping jaws of the clamps projecting outwardly beyond this straightedge to grip the marginal portion of a rug abutting the edge. The clampsare so constructed as to be capable of quick and easy attachment to therug after one end edge of the latter has been moved into abuttingcontact with the straight edge of the bar. The opposite end portion ofthe rug is then elevated by suitable means so that the rug hangs flat inits proper shape, and is preferably hung in this manner in the dryingroom until the sizing is thoroughly dry.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the description thereof which follows and to the drawing of which,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a rug hung up with a device embodying theinvention attached to its lower end edge.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of Figure 1 on a largerscale.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2. V

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the gripping end portions of one of theclamps.

As shown in Figure 1, a rug Ill may be hoisted by a hoisting meansconsisting of a bar I I having a series of sharp points I2 whichpenetrate the marginal portion at one end of the rug. At the oppositeend of the rug the edge I5 is brought into abutting contact yvith thestraight edge IS of a bar 2) which is preferably rigid and may be heavyin itself or may have suitable weights attached thereto. The formillustrated in the drawing may be an iron bar so that it possessesconsiderable weight in itself. Arranged along the bar 2G are a series ofclamps 2|, six such clampsbeing shown in Figure 1. It is evident thatthe number of clamps may be varied asdesired.` Each clamp may consist ofa lower jaw member 25 securedto the under face of the bar 2li as by ascrew 26. The lower jaw 25 has a portion 21 projecting beyond the edgeVi6 of the bar so as tobeinv position to grip the marginal portion of 'airug. The opposite. end-4 of the jaw 25 projects beyond the opposite edgeof the bar and is provided with a hinge 28 on which is rockably attachedan upper jaw 30. 'I'his upper jaw also has a portion 3| projectingbeyond the straight edge i6 of the bar so that the gripping ends of theprojecting portions of the jaws and 30 are opposite to each other. Asshown in Figure 4, the gripping portion 21 of the jaw 25 may be providedwith a pair of blunt teeth projecting toward the opposite jaw and havinground ends adapted to engage spaced points on a ridge 36 projecting fromthe end portion 3| of the upper jaw 30. Thus each pair of jaws grips therug firmly in two small area, minimizing the danger of tearing orinjuring the rug, but not interfering with the drying of the sizing onthe lower marginal portion of the rug. To facilitate the operation ofsetting up on the clamps 2l so as to grip a rug which may be between thegripping ends of the jaws, a draw bolt 4|] is passed through the jaws ata point between the hinged ends and the gripping ends, this bolt havinga head 4I engaging against the outer face of the jaw 25. The bolt 40 isprovided with a threaded end 42 passing loosely through a hole 43 in theupper jaw 30, and a hole 44 in the bar 20, a wing nut 45 being mountedon the threaded end 42 of the bolt so as to engage the outer face of thejaw 30. It is evident that by setting up on the wing nut the grippingends of the jaws are forced together. As shown in Figure 3 the hole 44may be made large enough to receive a compression spring 41 which bearsagainst the opposed inner face of the jaws 25 and 30. This spring tendsto push the jaws apart and to hold the clamp open. Thus when the wingnut 43 is backed off toward the end of the threaded portion of the bolt,the spring 41 holds the jaws open so as to facilitate the insertion ofthe marginal portion of a rug between the gripping ends of the jaws.

In applying this device to the ends of a rug, the device is laid uponthe floor with the jaws of the several clamps held open by their specialsprings. A rug is inserted between Vthe jaws of the several clamps bytwo operators who grip the corners of the rug and stretch the edge ofthe rug, holding this stretched edge evenly against the straight edge I6of the bar. While the rug is held thus, the end clamps 2| are screwed upuntil they grip the corners of the rug firmly. The operators thenproceed from one clamp to the next, pressing the jaws together with onehand and spinning the wing nut with the other hand so as to complete theoperation of setting up the clamps as rapidly as possible. In this waythe device can be quickly and easily attached to a marginal portion of arug. The opposite end portion of the rug is stretched and pressed downon the points I2, whereupon the bar Il is elevated by suitable tackle,illustrated in Figure 1, so that the rug is raised into a verticalposition, the bar 20 being attached to and supported by the lower end ofthe rug. This bar, with the clamps, being of substantial weight, holdsthe rug stretched flat, the rug being held in its proper shape owing tothe fact that the clamps were set up while the lower edge of the rug wasin abutting contact with the straight edge I6 of the bar. After the rughas been properly dried, the clamps are readily released by backing offthe thumb nuts 45 toward the ends of the bolts 4l), whereupon the deviceis ready for attachment to another rug.

1It is evident that many modications and changes in structure may bemade in the embodiment herein described and illustrated withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as dened in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a bar of substantialweight having a straight edge, and a plurality of clamps spaced alongsaid bar, each said clamp having a jaw member secured directly to saidbar with its gripping portion projecting beyond said edge, a second jawmember hinged to the first jaw member and having its gripping portionprojecting beyond said edge, a draw-bolt through said members betweenthe hinged ends and gripping ends thereof, a nut on said bolt abuttingthe outer surface of one of said members, and a comp-ression springsurrounding said bolt between said members.

2. A rug stretching device, comprising a bar of substantial Weighthaving a straight edge and a series of spaced holes, and a clamp at eachsaid hole, each clamp having a pair of jaws hinged together withgripping portions projecting beyond said edge, a draw bolt for eachclamp extending through both jaws and the corresponding hole in the bar,a nut on said bolt, and a compression spring loosely fitted in said holebetween the jaws.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a bar of substantialweight having a straight edge, a plurality of clamps spaced along saidbar, each said clamp including a pair of jaws disposed one on each sideof the bar, said jaws projecting forward beyond said straight edge ofthe bar for gripping engagement with a rug or the like abutting saide-dge, and means engaging said jaws rearwardly of said edge to hold saidjaws in clamping relation. v

AMOS J PRESTON.

